Paperboard container with pull-out side



Oct. 3, 1967 J. J. MASON PAPERBOARD CONTAINER WITH PULL-CUT SIDE Filed Aug. 50, 1966 I NVEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,344,976 PAPERBOARD CONTAINER WITH PULL-OUT SIDE James 3. Mason, Olympia Fields, Ill., assignor to Cameo Container Corp., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 576,020 Claims. (Cl. 22951) This invention relates generally to fibreboard containers of the type in which merchandise is packaged and transported, such as corrugated paperboard cartons, and more particularly, relates to a novel paperboard container provided with a pull-out side for easy removal of such merchandise.

In the packaging and shipment of bulky and large merchandise, for instance, it is common to employ a paperboard container formed as a generally open-ended sleeve of rectangular configuration with an end closure at one end thereof which may be opened to enable removal of said merchandise. Such container has certain disadvantages which become apparent in the unloading of the container under certain conditions of use and where certain packages are stored in the container. For instance, where bulky cans are stacked one upon the other either in a single row or in a plurality of rows and it is desired to remove the cans periodically as needed or otherwise. Generally, only the uppermost one or two packages can be removed without any extended difficulty through the available open end of the container. After the uppermost of such packages have been removed from a top-opening container, for instance, the user must reach deep into the container to remove the remaining packages. Such removal is exceedingly difiicult, and in some cases depending upon the type of cans or packages, impossible, without first destroying at least a part of the container to expose a portion of the merchandise which is to be removed. Destroying or damaging the container may be undesirable since it leaves the container in sloppy appearance and possibly unsuitable for further use Where it is desired to continue storing the unremoved can in the container.

The necessity to reach down into the container and obtain a grip on the can, for instance, so that it can be removed can result in injury to the knuckles and/or fingers. Also, the packages can be damaged by reason of the difficulty encountered in removing the lower packages and the sides and corners of the paperboard container can be ruptured when the container sides are spread to obtain a grip on the cans or packages.

This kind of difliculty would also be encountered where it is necessary to lift a single large product from the container sleeve without tearing the container. This may be occasioned where it is desired to use the container again.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a container of the character described which can be assembled from a relatively simple and economical paperboard blank and which is characterized by a construction capable of substantially eliminating the disadvantages enumerated hereinabove as well as others not specified.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a paperboard container of the character described having a tear strip vertically arranged along a corner thereof which, when torn away, permits the side wall of said container to be pulled outwardly for easy access to the contents of the container in addition to an open end thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paperboard container of the character described in which the pull-out side wall has an end closure flap with a notch to provide clearance for pull-out of said side wall.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described which can be sealed in a manner permitting the container to be opened readily through a side wall thereof and thereafter sealed again for repeated use, if desired.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing disclosure in which a preferred embodiment has been described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is contemplated that minor variations in structural features and arrangement of parts thereof may occur to the skilled artisan without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container embodying the invention fully assembled, loaded and sealed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of said container in partially opened condition and showing the bottom flaps thereof in hidden line.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of said container showing the side thereof in open position with the contents exposed.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the integral blank from which said container of the invention is assembled.

Referring to the drawing, in FIG. 1, reference character 12 designates generally the container embodying the invention completely assembled and loaded with large or bulky articles or packages. By way of example, the articles may be large, rectangular cans 14, as seen in FIG. 2, although the container may be used advantageously for packaging of some other single article or a plurality of other articles. Said container 12 is comprised of an openended sleeve 16 formed of corrugated board or other fibreboard material having an elongate, rectangular configuration. Sleeve 16 is defined by parallel front and rear walls 18 and 2-0 respectively and parallel side walls 22 and 24 connected at right angles to said walls 18 and 20. The designation of the walls of the container 12 as to their orientation is for purposes of description only.

Each of the Walls 18, 20, 22 and 24 has end closure flaps 26, 28, 30 and 32 respectively hinged to the upper ends thereof, and end closure flaps 34, 36, 38 and 40 respectively hinged to the lower ends thereof. Each of said flaps are substantially co-extensive with the side wall of the sleeve to which it is connected. The end closure flap arrangement is generallyrwell known, with the exception of flap 38. Flap 38, connected to side wall 22, is formed with a notch 58 cut therefrom for a purpose to be explained below.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a single blank 60 which may be die-cut from sheeting of paperboard, either corrugated or otherwise by conventional process. This can be done by a continuous roll method or by a steel-rule punch press arrangement. In any event, it will be apparent that the Waste will be that portion of the sheeting which completes the rectangle subtended by the blank. The container 12 is erected by folding the walls 18, 20, 22 and 24 along the lines of fold 41 to form a rectangular sleeve. The abutting edges 59 and 59' of the Walls 18 and 22 are secured together by a strip of tear tape 42. Tear-tape 42 has a string or thin wire 44 extending the length thereof, a portion 46 of which protrudes beyond the extremity of the tape for starting the tear.

To close the top of the resulting sleeve, flaps 30 and 32 on facing walls are folded inwardly along fold lines 43 into the sleeve into an abutting assemblage. Flaps 26 and 28 are then folded along lines 43 into overlapping assemblage with flaps 30 and 32. Sealing tape 50 is then placed across the line of abutment of flaps 28 and 26 on the exterior of the end enclosure to hold same firmly 'in place. It will be appreciated that the specific configuration of flaps 26, 28, 30 and 32 set forth hereinabove is by way of illustration only and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Any suitable fiap arrangement at the upper end of sleeve 16 may be used in conjunction with the invention.

The bottom portion of said container 12 is assembled in a like manner by first folding flaps 38 and 40 along fold lines 45 to an abutting relationship. Flaps 34 and 36 are then folded over said flaps 38 and 40, and tape 50 is disposed along the abutting line of flaps 34 and 36 exterior of the container.

After the container 1-2 has been assembled with the contents thereof packaged therein and sealed it is ready for shipment. To remove the contents of the container, the user will open the upper end of the vertically oriented container as seen in FIG. 2 by breaking the sealing tape 50 in the usual manner. After end closure flaps 26, 28, 30 and 32 have been folded outwardly from the sleeve 16 in the manner shown in FIG. 2, the user can grasp tear-string 44 by its protruding length of string or wire 46, and tear said string or wire out from said tear-tape by pulling same downwardly, thereby severing said tear-tape so as to separate walls 18 and 22 along their line of abutment defined by edges 59 and 59'. Other types of tear-tapes may be used for the purpose of effectuating separation of walls 18 and 22. One other familiar type i that which comprises a strip of reinforced adhesive tape which is designed to be completely removed by stripping same from the surface on which it lies. Wall 22 can then be pivoted outwardly from the sleeve 16 on its fol-d line 41 to expose the contents of the container for easy removal.

An important aspect of the invention is the location of a notch or cutout portion 58 on the bottom flap 38. When wall 22 is disposed in closed position with tear-tape 42 in place, not-ch 58 lies adjacent wall 18, running in a plane perpendicular to said wall 18. Notch 58 is thus remote from fold line 41 between walls 20 and 22. Notch 58 is of such dimension as to provide clearance for flap 38 relative to wall 18 when it is desired to expose the contents of sleeve 16 by pivoting wall 22 along its fold line. The clearance of flap 38 is adjacent tear-tape 42.

Upon removing any desired quantity of the contents of container 12 through the side wall opening created when wall 22 is in open position, the user can return flap 38 into the sleeve portion below the remaining cans 14 by moving wall 22 into its original closed position. Notch 58 is of sufficient depth and width such that re-assemblage of container 12 is possible even though said container has cans 14 remaining therein.

It is believed that the invention has been sufficiently described to enable the skilled artisan to understand and practice the same. The invention has been distinctly 4. pointed out in the appended claims intended to be broadly and literally construed.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A paperboard container comprising, an open-ended sleeve of generally rectangular configuration including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls hingedly interconnected to provide the sleeve, a strip of tear-tape joining said front wall and an adjacent side wall along a line of abutment extending the length of the sleeve with said side wall hingedly connected to said rear wall along adjacent longitudinal edges thereof, end enclosure flap means hingedly connected to said walls respectively at one open end of the sleeve, said flap means including a flap member hingedly connected to one of said front and side walls so conjoined by the tear-tape, said flap member having a notch therein adjacent said tear-tape whereby to provide clearance between said flap member and the other wall of the tear-tape joined pair for pivoting said wall having the flap member on its fold line outwardly of said sleeve when said tear-tape is rendered, thereby exposing the contents of said container.

2. A container as described in claim 1 wherein said tear-tape has a string embedded therein and runs the length thereof.

3. A container as described in claim 2 wherein said string extends beyond the extremity of said tear-tape remote from said flap means to allow manual grasping thereof.

4. A container as described in claim 1 wherein said notch is of sufiicient depth and width such that said front wall may be returned to its original position by pivoting said wall on its fold line inwardly of said sleeve, thereby re-assembling said container.

5. A container as described in claim 1 in which said end closure flap means comprises a flap member hingedly connected to each wall of the sleeve and generally perpendicular to the sleeve walls in the closed portion of the end closure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,176,768 10/1939 Luchte 229-51 2,321,066 6/1943 Dense et al 229-51 2,868,431 1/1959 Painter 229--51 3,237,841 3/1966 Ridgeway 22944 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primaiy Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,344,976 October 3, 1967 James J. Mason It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 1, line 40, for "can" read cans column 4, line for "literally" read liberally line 38, for "portion" read position Signed and sealed this 15th day of October 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, J r.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. A PAPERBOARD CONTAINER COMPRISING, AN OPEN-ENDED SLEEVE OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION INCLUDING A FRONT WALL, A REAR WALL AND A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTED TO PROVIDE THE SLEEVE, A STRIP OF TEAR-TAPE JOINING SAID FRONT WALL AND AN ADJACENT SIDE WALL ALONG A LINE OF ABUTMENT EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE SLEEVE WITH SAID SIDE WALL HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID REAR WALL ALONG ADJACENT LONGITUDINAL EDGES THEREOF, END ENCLOSURE FLAP MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID WALLS RESPECTIVELY AT ONE OPEN END OF THE SLEEVE, SAID FLAP MEANS INCLUDING A FLAP MEMBER HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID FRONT AND SIDE WALLS SO CONJOINED BY THE TEAR-TAPE, SAID FLAP MEMBER HAVING A NOTCH THEREIN ADJACENT SAID TEAR-TAPE WHEREBY TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID FLAP MEMBER AND THE OTHER 